CNN ‘Ready to Cut Ties’ with Andy Cohen Over His ‘Embarrassing’ Behavior

Network insiders say the Bravo star’s alcohol-fueled behavior and political outbursts may have worn out their welcome.

CNN is said to be considering a major shake-up to its popular New Year’s Eve broadcast — and at the center of it is longtime co-host Andy Cohen.

According to multiple insider accounts, network executives are strongly leaning toward cutting ties with the Watch What Happens Live host after his latest round of eyebrow-raising antics during the December 31, 2025, live celebration. While viewers may have come to expect a degree of loose and unpredictable behavior from Cohen on New Year’s Eve, sources close to CNN leadership say this year may have crossed a line.

“This is CNN, not Bravo,” one source reportedly told veteran Hollywood columnist Rob Shuter. “What works on reality TV doesn’t belong on a serious news network.”

Cohen, 57, sparked internal backlash at CNN after a tirade directed at outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams during the final hours of 2025’s broadcast. After tossing back drinks with co-host Anderson Cooper and The Office actor B.J. Novak, Cohen launched into a slurred critique of Adams’ time in office, calling it “chaotic” and sarcastically wishing him well in retirement.

“Great, you got your pardons. Go off into the sunset,” Cohen said during the live segment. “You’ve partied your way through four years. We’ll see you at all the parties.”

Sources say Cooper and Novak both appeared visibly uncomfortable during the rant and attempted to steer Cohen back on track — but he continued unabated.

“That moment changed everything,” said one CNN insider. “It was mortifying. People were watching from inside the control room, completely silent. The secondhand embarrassment was real.”

According to internal chatter, CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is already navigating budgetary pressures and potential restructuring — and executives are said to be increasingly wary of retaining talent who present reputational risks.

“When a company is considering restructuring, you don’t keep liabilities,” a media executive told Shuter. “You clean house.”

The insider claimed there have been ongoing concerns about Cohen’s unpredictable behavior, particularly when alcohol is involved, and that leadership feels he brings “no added value” to a brand striving to project journalistic integrity and credibility.

“The optics are terrible,” another source reportedly said. “Andy adds no value to a brand that wants to be respected.”

Perhaps most telling is the reported shift in Cohen’s relationship with Anderson Cooper. The two have long been close friends and frequent collaborators, but insiders suggest Cooper is now privately seeking to separate himself from Cohen’s on-air style.

“Anderson is a journalist,” one source explained. “He doesn’t want to babysit someone slurring through political rants.”

Cohen’s comments also sparked a public response from the target of his rant, former Mayor Eric Adams. In a pointed statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), Adams suggested Cohen’s behavior was symptomatic of deeper issues.

“My response to @Andy: AA. Another sloppy drunken rant,” Adams wrote. “If anyone actually cares about him, they’ll tell him to get help. New Yorkers aren’t laughing with him. They are concerned about him. Public intoxication is a disease. He should seek help.”

The former mayor concluded by noting that Cohen was only safe in Times Square because of law enforcement efforts — a sharp contrast to the party atmosphere Cohen appeared to embrace.

Though CNN has not issued a formal statement, multiple insiders suggest the network’s decision is final and that Cohen will not be invited back for future broadcasts.

“The conversation has already happened,” one senior figure said. “He won’t be back. Enough is enough.”

Whether CNN will publicly confirm Cohen’s departure — or quietly shift course before the next New Year’s Eve celebration — remains to be seen. But one thing appears increasingly clear: the network’s tolerance for reality-TV-style hosting may have reached its limit.